Customer Reviews

The Littlest Angel

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This children's book about a young angel in heaven has long been regarded as a classic. It is one of the all-time best sellers of children's books here in the U.S. The story was read over the radio and I heard it as a child in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The little angel, who is acting like all little boys, has to come up with a present for the newly born baby Jesus. It is a beautiful Christmas story and every mischievous boy can relate to this littlest angel. I really find it hard to understand to understand the comments of the 1998 reviewer from Oroville. All children who have to provide gifts for friends or relatives have a hard time coming up with ideas. The littlest angel is no different.

I got this book as a Christmas present when I was about 6, and I loved it! My edition of the book has a crimson cover, and the little angel looks like a small blond boy in a pair of light blue footie-pyjamas. I often re-read the book until I was about 9 or 10 and moved on to more big-kid stories.
Now that I am a mother (with a small blond boy who looks a lot like the angel) I've rediscovered the book. What a truly wonderful story. And, just like my mother, I end up reading the last few pages in tears!
I truly don't understand the reviewers who criticized the metaphysics of the book or the "$2 words". First of all, it's a STORY -- a fable -- an allegory. Save the arguments about the origin of angels until your child is in college majoring in theology or philosophy. Main point of the book is -- you are loved as you are, and the best gift is one that is given with love and from the heart.
About the "$2 words" -- how else will a child expand his vocabulary unless he encounters $2 words? Read the book as it is written, and answer the child's question when he says "Mommy, what's deportment?" It's that simple.

In response to the reviewer from Oroville, CA, who gave this book a low rating, I offer this: I think he made the mistake of seeing The Littlest Angel's Heaven as a place where there could never be any fear or suffering. The author allowed this human reality to enter Heaven with The Littlest Angel so that all of the complacent angels (but really all complacent people on earth) could be reminded that the most angelic being is the innocent one who gives what he or she loves to others and not what she or he hopes will impress others. The metaphor is perfect: wouldn't it be just like God to teach us all that those among us who are thought of (and think of themselves) as the lowest in importance and stature are actually in His heart those who are the most pure? And how could that be taught more profoundly than to let everyone see a little child, with all of his or her fears and sorrows, lovingly comforted and lovingly validated by God? In my opinion, "The Littlest Angel" is the most beautiful, meaningful, and touching Christmas story ever written.

'The Littlest Angel' by Charles Tazewell is one of the ten best-selling children's stories of all time. There has been several published editions of this beautiful classic, but none compares to the wonderful award-winning artistry of Paul Micich. Each illustration done in alkyd on canvas. It's the classic story about a little boy angel homesick for earth that was created by Tazewell as a backup for a Screen Guild production crisis. Well, the crisis never materialized, but 'The Littlest Angel' did. The first performance was narrated by Helen Hayes for the "Manhattan at Midnight" Christmas radio show. In 1946, it was released in book form. It was also recorded on Decca records. The magazine, Coronet published it in 1949 and later produced the first film version. Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair) starred as this little angel who couldn't stay out of trouble in the celestial city in the 1969 Hallmark Hall of Fame production. The TV show featured Fred Gwynne (The Munsters, Car 54 Where Are You?), Cab Calloway and E.G. Marshall. 'The Littlest Angel' was in it's 35th print at the time of Tazewell's death in 1972. Time magazine referred to it as the "international classic."

The story goes when this littlest angel arrived in the presence of the Gatekeeper he was four years and six months old. This littlest angel pretend that he wasn't impressed with his new unearthly home. It was that moment on heavenly peace wasn't quite the same. All the heavenly host didn't think he looked like an angel. His tiny halo tarnished and slipping down over his eyes or letting it fall from his head so it would roll down the golden street so he could chase it. Even his wings weren't just right. He's directed to the angel of peace. Dreading his ordeal he goes but he hears merry singing. He meets the Understanding Angel. The caring angel knew that the littlest angel was homesick and all the things he missed on earth. He asked the littlest angel what would make him happy. The cherub said it was a box he kept under his bed back home. The Understanding Angel did what he wished. From that day, the littlest angel changed for the best. It came to pass that Jesus, the Son of God was born in Bethlehem. All the glad tidings abound in paradise. All the angels prepared gifts for the Christ child. The littlest angel pondered what could he give the holy infant? His box, he thought. But it was shabby and ugly gift. But it was too late, God's hand moved over the other gifts to his little box. All the things the littlest angel ever loved on earth were there. Then God spoke. Of all the angels, I find that this small box pleases me most. It's contents are of the earth and of men and my Son is born to be king of both. These are the things my Son will love and cherish.....Suddenly the box glowed and radiantly brillant as it rose to the heavens. There it shone on the night of miracles the light reflecting the centuries by it's splendor, the lowly gift of the Littlest Angel. What all men call forever, "the Shining Star of Bethlehem."

When I was a child I loved this story. The difficult language (see review below) didn't bother me. I think that it WAS written as a children's story and that back when it was written children accepted difficult language more easily than now. Today we underestimate the power of a child's mind and reasoning and we make the mistake of dumbing down literature and arts for children. But that's another issue..... Regarding the story - as I said, I loved the story as a child, never got the "theology" of this book confused with the theology I learned from church (As I remember it,I knew that people didn't really become angels - or if I thought that at the time I quickly lost that misconception as I became older.)
I picked the book up again as an adult (after not having read it for years) and found that the story now makes me cry.
This is an extremely heart wrenching story for adults, but a comforting one for children.

THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON THE BOOK ILLUSTRATED BY PAUL MICICH.

While researching various books for my 22 mo old daughter, I decided to purchase this book based on the reviews that I had read. I have never heard of this story (I'm 39) and found the reviews very fascinating. After receiving the book and reading it, I'm thrilled that I decided to purchase it. Although the story is too long for her to sit through it's entirety at the moment, the pictures themselves are SO worthy a shortened version of the story. A beautifully depicted heaven and the antics of a little cherub create a wonderful mixture of humor and wonderment. And finally, the gift of love for Christmas - what better way to share the true meaning of Christmas than His acceptance of a gift for the newborn Jesus given freely and honestly as only a child can give - a small box of the little boy's most priceless treasures. A true Christmas classic.

I had this book as a child and loved it and now as an adult, I get even more from it reading it to my child. However, I must admit that that $10 word thing is a little over a three-year-old's head, but being a writer, I just rewrite it as I go along so he can understand the story too. The ending is just wonderful - how God chooses the Littlest Angel's gift over all the other angel's gifts to be presented to the Christ Child. Then, God turns it into the Star of Bethelehem! Pretty awesome and gives you goosebumps every single time. The jist of the story is to offer whatever you have to the Christ Child, no matter how poor it may seem or out of place to others, give of yourself. It's the same story as The Little Drummer Boy - he gave what he had, his gift of music. Great book for the holidays but be sure you read it first yourself before reading it to a younger child.

This is a poignant book for children who need to know that they and their selected possessions are special. It is a story to remind us all of what true gifts are.

It has been my favorite Christmas book for 50 years and I read it each Holiday season and never make it through without a few tears.

We all need to feel like a small clumsy child as we look at the new born King.

This book took me totally by surprise as I read it to my Kindergarten class the day before we went to see a play about it. The pictures were absolutely beautiful. Not only that, but also the story tugged at your heart strings as you feel for the angel and what he misses and then ultimately what he gives. A beautiful story that I will read every year to come to my children and eventually my childrens' children.

We purchased this book when my older son was four years old--old enough to have an idea of what an angel is, and old enough to think being an angel at age 4 is not something to be desired!

This Christmas classic is a well-known and well-loved story in any version, but the illustrations in this particular version show Heaven as perceived by a four year old boy, in glowing, child-like fashion. He struggles to have the comportment of an angel, but being a 4-year old boy, this is a tough charge! The illustration of the heavenly choir and their response to his raucous singing is absolutely priceless.

The story is a true gem for families, and these illustrations allow the reader to picture the angel as he crashes through Heaven, coming to his final triumph on the first Christmas Eve.